


Poetry

by TheJaguar (Spiderboat)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 21:24:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4452911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spiderboat/pseuds/TheJaguar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pearl reads to Peridot from favorite book. [Also terribly self-indulgent; mild sexuality.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Poetry

**Author's Note:**

> This. Is the gayest thing I've ever written. There's no good reason for it. It's just gay. And I am trash.

The day was quiet. Steven, Amethyst, and Lapis Lazuli were playing on the beach, while Garnet was in her room in the temple. She claimed that it was to check on some healing gem shards, but they knew it was so she could defuse and Ruby and Sapphire could have some alone time. That left Pearl and Peridot alone in the beach house.

It was sweltering hot, about 2 PM on an August afternoon. Peridot had decided to be helpful by mopping the kitchen floor and was regretting it. Her arms weren't as strong as they used to be, before her accident, and her position as a technician had prevented her from bulking up. A thick coat of sweat formed on her back, but she didn't complain. Pearl, meanwhile, was sitting neatly on the couch, her nose in a book.

Peridot gulped and tried not to look too hard, or she knew she would start sweating more. Pearl was... Well, the _Crystal Gems_ , multiple, weren't really all that bad. She slapped the mop onto the floor hard, trying to shake the unfinished thought from her mind.

Still, Pearl's utter quiet filled the room. Peridot was used to her silence. They worked together to repair pieces of gem tech all the time, and while Peridot got better results from smacking the thing and swearing at it, Pearl preferred to remain quiet and focused. But this peaceful silence, completely devoid of any sound other than the squeak and squish of the wet mop and the occasional flip of a page, was threatening to consume Peridot whole.

She stole another glance and held her breath.

Fine, fine, she would finally admit it to herself after months of keeping her trap shut: Pearl was a _really_ pretty gem. Gorgeous. Stunning. Captivating, even, which was an ironic term to use of course, since Peridot had started as the Gems' prisoner. There was just... something about her unusually soft, blue eyes, and her elegant nose and mouth. About her swan-like neck and how her narrow shoulders complimented her thin, long arms. About how her shirt so _perfectly_ accentuated her slender body. Most importantly, about her soft, smooth, gentle hands with long, thin fingers.

All right. So _maybe_ she'd been admitting it in pieces. But only now was she willing to finally admit to herself that she found her usual partner and companion attractive. She looked back down at the floor and mopped at a particularly nasty stain, probably left from Lion, with force. So what? That didn't mean anything. Pearls were servants, and they were designed to be attractive. So were peridots.

But then... She really wasn't much of anything compared to her, was she? Especially not with two stumpy arms and two stumpy legs, hidden behind advanced prosthetics. And her weird hair and awkward face.

No, Pearl was definitely the one gifted with beauty. At least Peridot had brains, but then again, so did Pearl.

Peridot looked up again. Pearl's eyes were dutifully scanning the pages, a soft smile on her lips. She was so brilliant. Her mind could make connections, think of solutions, solve problems so much faster than Peridot ever could. Peridot was pretty much good at one thing and one thing only, and that was using and fixing modern gem tech. True, she had valuable insight into Yellow Diamond and her plans, and that had been helpful to the Gems before, but it wasn't the same. As far as Peridot was concerned, once the Crystal Gems defeated Yellow Diamond, they wouldn't have need of her anymore.

She didn't want to think about being abandoned a second time, so she pushed the thought far away.

Pearl stirred, looking up from her book for the first time in ages. "Oh, Peridot!" Stars above, her _voice_ was enough to make Peridot weak in the knees. "I'm sorry, is there something you wanted?"

Peridot stammered, shoving the mop into the bucket. "Oh, uh, n-nope, j-just, uh-" Well, she'd been caught staring, so there was no point in trying to hide it. Better think of something else. She coughed to regain control of her voice. "Wh-what are you reading?"

"Oh, this old thing?" Pearl chuckled softly, sticking her finger between the pages to mark it while she turned the book around so Peridot could see the cover. "It's actually a collection of poetry written by a human. Now, normally I find human writing rather trite, but this one..." Pearl sighed, closing her eyes and clutching the book to her chest. "His work just speaks to me."

"Poetry?" Peridot echoed, deciding to temporarily abandon her chore and walk over to the couch. She sat a few inches away from Pearl, close enough to read the cover but far enough to give her her space. "Pablo... Neruda? Never heard of him before. But then again, I don't really know much about Earth, so..."

"Oh, he's _wonderful_ , Peridot." She had a huge smile on her face. Even her eyes twinkled from joy. "He was a very political figure, but his work is so deeply emotional and intimate. A very passionate lover. Here, you can borrow it if you like!" She held the book out to Peridot, letting her temporary bookmark slide back.

"Oh, n-no, that's okay! You're not done yet," Peridot stammered, gently pushing it back towards Pearl. "Besides, I'm not really a big fan of mushy stuff. It feels fake to me. N-not that there's anything wrong with _you_ liking it, of course!" She added on the last part in a near panic.

Pearl laughed softly. "I know how you feel, I personally can't stand most human romance pieces. But I'm telling you, there's just something really special about this one. Maybe if I read some to you out loud, you'll understand. Now, let's see, where is that one I love...?"

As Pearl leafed through the pages one by one, Peridot felt her whole face flush. So she was about to read her love poetry? Peridot didn't care if it was the worst poetry in the world now. If it came from Pearl's mouth, directed at her, she was going to melt like ice on the sidewalk. Stars help her.

"Oh, here it is!" Pearl blushed, looking at Peridot for a moment. "To be honest, I pretty much memorized this one, but I wanted to start from the middle instead of the beginning, so I had to see where to begin."

"Y-yeah, that's fine." _Oh no oh no oh no oh no don't do this don't do this don't do this don't-_

"'And good, this danger is danger of love,'" Pearl read, her voice slow, steady, musical, "'of complete love, for all life, for all lives, and if this love brings upon us the death and the prisons, I am sure that your big eyes, as when I kiss them, will then close with pride, into double pride, love, with your pride and my pride.'"

_Shit._ This was way too real. Peridot's whole body trembled at the words. True, they were beautiful, but hearing it come from  _her_ ...

"'But to my ears they will come before,'" Pearl continued, closing the book and turning towards Peridot. She kept her eyes shut, perhaps to make this seem less intimate. "'To wear down the tour of the sweet and hard love which binds us.'" She opened her eyes, slowly, deliberately, and a lump formed in Peridot's throat. Was she...? No, there was  _no way_ .

"'And they will say, 'The one you love, is not a woman for you. Why do you love her?''" Pearl, timidly, reached her hand out towards one of Peridot's. Peridot allowed her fingers to be held in Pearl's tiny, soft, delicate hand, her heart pounding in her chest and Pearl squeezed tight. "''I think you could find one more beautiful, more serious, more deep, more other.''"

In one swift motion that took Peridot completely by surprise, Pearl managed to sit herself in Peridot's lap, straddling her with her slender thighs. Peridot couldn't help but gasp, breath hitching in her throat. By pure instinct, she allowed her hands to rest on Pearl's hips. Pearl, meanwhile, wrapped her arms around Peridot's neck, letting her hands dangle towards the small of Peridot's back, and her voice took on a lower, huskier tone as she spoke more quietly, closing her eyes once more.

"''You understand me, look how she's light, and what a head she has, and look at how she dresses, and etcetera and etcetera.''" At this, Pearl took Peridot's face in her hand, lifting her visor up with the other. Peridot was grateful for that, for it was starting to fog up from her body heat.

"'And I in these lines say: Like this I want you, love.'" Pearl leaned in close, pressing her gem to Peridot's. Peridot gasped aloud, for the touch sent a hot, warm sensation throughout her whole body. The soft tremors through Pearl seemed to indicate that she was feeling the same thing, and Peridot gripped her waist tightly, afraid to let go. "'Love, like this I love you.'" Pearl's hands moved to trace Peridot's neck with her fingertips. "'And how your hair lifts up, and how your mouth smiles, light as the water of the spring upon the pure stones.'"

Her mouth was so close, impossibly close. Peridot could taste her on her breath.

"'Like this I love you, beloved.'"

Pearl cupped Peridot's face in her hands and kissed her, slow and deep. Peridot squeaked into it, and she felt Pearl's lips curl into a smile. Heart screaming in her chest to be let out, Peridot shut her eyes and returned it as best she could. Her fingers interlocked on the small of Pearl's back, pressing her body in close. She quivered like a little bird under Pearl's hands and mouth, and she felt Pearl's hands wander from her cheeks to her neck and then down her back. Her nails dug into her skin and Peridot gasped. She'd been touched before, kissed before, held before, but not like  _this_ .

She didn't complain when Pearl gently guided Peridot to her back on the couch, and she certainly didn't complain when Pearl laid on top of her, probing her lips with her tongue. Peridot opened her mouth, knowing at least that that was what you did when someone did that. She braced herself for having her mouth invaded with force and was surprised when Pearl's tongue slipped inside gently. Peridot whined, doing her best to please her. Stars, that was all she wanted. She didn't know if that was the servant class in her talking, but she didn't really care. She wanted nothing more than to worship Pearl with her hands, her mouth, her tongue - anything she wanted, anything she asked for, Peridot would give her in a heartbeat. Peridot wrapped her arms around Pearl's back and squeezed her tight, slipping her fingers through Pearl's soft, pink hair.

Gems didn't really need to breathe, but it had become custom by now, and they broke apart panting. Pearl stared at Peridot with worried eyes, her cheeks a dark shade of teal. "I-I-I- I'm so sorry, I-I should have at least asked your permission before doing something... like that..."

Peridot gulped loudly, able to hear her heart pounding in her ears. "D-don't... don't worry about it."

Pearl tried to move away, but Peridot tugged at the back of her shirt. Not hard, not to trap her - she was free to go if she so pleased, but Peridot needed to let her know that she didn't want her to. Pearl opted to glance at the floor, afraid to look Peridot in the eyes. But she laid back down on top of her, keeping their faces close. "Y-you didn't... mind all that?"

Peridot shook her head, tracing her fingers down Pearl's toned, muscular back. "Not at all. A-actually, um, i-it's embarrassing, but, um..." Her face flushed and she glanced down for a second. "I-I really enjoyed that."

"You did?" It wasn't a question, not really, so Peridot didn't answer. Pearl sighed, shutting her eyes. "I... I did too."

"Yeah?" That also was not really a question, just a sound to keep the room from being silent again. Peridot reached back up to tangle her fingers in Pearl's hair again. When she heard the other gem chuckle softly, Peridot asked, "So... how come you read that one in particular to me?"

Pearl's face stayed flushed, and Peridot determined that shy was a good look on her. "Sometimes it's easier to say something when it's been put into words by another already."

Peridot nodded blankly before what Pearl had said sank in. "Wait... Y-you...?" She didn't dare finish the question, and she didn't have to.

Pearl nodded, opting to shut her eyes and nuzzle Peridot's cheek. "I happen to be very, very fond of you."

"Wh-why me?" Peridot squeaked, her face still hot. Her brain felt like it was screaming, filled with some kind of weird static. "I'm nobody special."

"Oh, Peridot. That couldn't be further from the truth." Pearl placed her lips to Peridot's gem, just briefly, making her gasp aloud. "You're lovely."

Peridot sniggered, daring to squeeze Pearl's waist tighter. "So you meant all that stuff? Nerd." Gingerly, she leaned forward and gave Pearl a soft, tender peck. "I... I think you're really lovely, too."

Pearl grinned. "I knew you did, to be honest. You're  _very_ obvious."

"Hey! At least let me have a little dignity here." Peridot pouted, prompting Pearl to lean forward and kiss her again. She couldn't really say she was about to complain.

**Author's Note:**

> The poem referenced in this story is "And Because Love Battles" by Pablo Neruda, which you can read in full here: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/and-because-love-battles/
> 
> I highly recommend it, it's one of my favorites.


End file.
